Student Spotlight: Escalene

I affectionately refer to Victoria Martin as Escalene because last year on a Geometry test she merged the words escelano and scalene on a Geometry test. It brought much laughter to my day because my response was, "I should give her an esticker because she is so especial." <- I know, I'm hilarious, right?
Victoria and I have had some great conversations in the last month or so about what God is doing in her life. She was radically changed this summer and it has been evident in everything that she does. We carved some time out for each other this past Friday before the Crossfire retreat and just sat, talked and broke bread (by bread I mean I ate a burger and she had Yogen Früz).
I decided to tell her a secret. The secret was that I was speaking that night at the retreat. She immediately freaked out screaming from excitement. I did not expect that. She was encouraging me and it was super wonderful and I couldn't help but think that this situation should be reversed.
We get back to the church and we wanted to spend more time together but that just wasn't gonna happen because there were things that needed to be done. We go our separate ways and I come back outside to ask someone a question and I hear Victoria calling my name. I turn around and she comes up to me and says, "Miss B. before you go up can I pray for you?"
HEART SHATTERS
OF COURSE!!!!!!!!
I finish up what I am doing and we go into the 3rd grade classroom and Victoria prays for me, in English (that's important because that is not her heart language so the effort that takes is heart warming).
I knew God was gonna move.
I share this because I get to have these unreal moments all the time. My students are a huge blessing to me. They are top notch. I hope to share more stories about how their lives bring me closer to Jesus.

After Vicki prayed I returned the favor because she was giving her testimony on Sunday in both morning services. And this video is that story. Enjoy.

The Name

Some time last school year I was talking to God wondering why Panama has been so awesome for me and God wanted me to know that this season of my life is a gift.

Well thanks, God.

This year has been awesome! Second year teaching with the same students is a dream! Also it has freed up my time so much that I have had quite the social life (running 5ks, Paddle boarding, tutoring, etc.). Oddly enough this has pushed me towards God.

Why? God has assured me that he is in constant pursuit of me. God pursues us to reconcile our relationship with him and as if that isn't enough after we are with him he still goes out of his way to go after my heart.

It has been a love story.

God has given me the desires of my heart. It has made me sure that he will continue to do so and this blog will here on share those with you.

(My brother and I outside the canal.)

Fiestas Patrias

I left South Florida ten days after I accepted this job in Panama with full intentions of starting a blog. Three weeks into the second quarter, I have found the time and a good enough reason.
I am not going to try and fill you in on EVERYTHING that has happened to me in the last 3 months because it would be impossible. I am simply going to try and explain Fiestas Patrias to you and hopefully you can get a glimpse of what my life has turned into.

Panama has something like three independence holidays all in the month of November, which means lots of days off school. Depending on the president different requirements are given to the schools as to how they should celebrate. Sometimes its just a day off and sometimes its a day off on Friday and on Saturday you're required to march in the national parade that passes the presidential palace along a 3 mile parade route in the Panama humidity. Seriously.

Crossroads Christian Academy has been preparing for this journey a long while. Taking whole class periods out of my day to practice our routine. The kids line up, Diego (one of my students) drops a beat and we march. We have a special group of girls who have a routine to salute the president, everyone wears matching polos, khakis, black shoes and white socks. Its intense. Not really.

Our students are great sports. They did this with minimal complaints. In such a small school/community they've known each other for a very long time and they are content as long as they are together.

The original plan was to march Saturday and Sunday. Then Meduca (the ministry of education) said only Saturday. We were supposed to salute the president but he didn't show up. Usually the schools march first but this year the police departments did. Usually we can hang out at school and get there later but we had to be there at about 9 and didn't march until 2:30.

Sounds like I have a lot to complain about right? Not. I LOVE my job. I think the weird cultural things that come with it are part of the adventure. I got to walk through Cosco Viejo on a beautiful sunny day and celebrate a country that I didn't think twice about until I moved here. I got to spend time with my students who marched for and hour and a half with different world flags held high (for the most part). They've stolen my heart.

I was talking to one of my students about what I was going to do when I "go home" for winter break. She reminded me that I was home. Weird. I felt okay saying that. I am home. My heart is here. It is invested here. I am happy to be here.

Being in Panama has fulfilled desires of my heart that I didn't even realize were there. When I talk to God sometimes I have a hard time expressing how thankful and happy I am for bringing me here. I remember the beginning of this year God was trying to tell me something. He was preparing my heart for a big change and I remember several times just bursting into tears because I knew that whatever this change was I didn't deserve it.

Here I am. Undeserving.